The Hero of Parker City

By Emily Grant

I know the city has turned its back on me, but it’s still devastating when I see my face on a billboard with the words, “Why are we trusting the Blue Bullet with our lives?”

Bitterness stabs my heart as I fly by. The cloud of dust below leads me to my destination: a collapsed building.

What would they do if I stopped showing up?

First responders are already there. I drop in front of the building to assess the situation. It’s just an old warehouse, finally giving in to time, but was anybody inside when it collapsed?

Someone whispers, “There he is!”

Another voice calls, “Hey!” I turn to see the chief of police walking toward me, his expression dark.

“It’s all under control here.” His jaw twitches. “You can go back where you came from, Blue.”

I grit my teeth. This man, new in his chief role, has proudly called me the Blue Bullet many times in the past when I’ve helped save a life or catch a criminal. Now he acts as if I’m not even worthy of the full name given to me by the citizens.

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do?” I grit my teeth. I wish my visor didn’t hide my eyes; I want the chief to see that I know what he’s thinking.

“No, I think you’ve done enough.”

I whirl around, clenching my fists. “Fine. I’ll get out of your way.” Gathering my strength, I shoot into the air. My streamlined suit allows my departure to be swift. Its midnight blue color matches the darkness I feel.

The skyscraper I land on is usually a sanctuary, where I scope out people who need help. Today, all I can see are the billboards screaming lies to the citizens of Parker City.

The one that hurts the most reads: He let our chief die. He’ll fail your family next. The photo of me holding Chief Greer’s body in my arms, surrounded by smoke, turns my stomach. Grief and regret are still fresh wounds in my heart.

I slump to my knees. Everything I’ve done for this city, and they shun me after my first failure. They don’t want my help, and maybe they don’t deserve it. Maybe I should just do what they want and leave them alone.

“I told you this would happen.”

I bolt up and hover a couple feet in the air. A dark figure rises over the edge of the roof on a cloud of smoke.

“Smokescreen.” Hatred consumes me. “How dare you come here?”

Smokescreen, clad in a gray cloak, steps onto the roof with a smirk. “Don’t be angry with me for killing Greer. I’m a supervillain. It was your job to save him.” His breath escapes in ashy tendrils.

“How do you feel about your city now?” He stalks forward, disturbing the mist around him. “Your beloved people that you’ve worked so hard to protect…” He shakes his head at the billboard with the dead chief. “Pity.”

I refuse to look at the image again, instead staring down the villain before me.  “I’ve made a promise to help protect this city. Nothing’s going to change that.”

“Even when they snub you for trying?” Smokescreen snickers. “Face it, Bullet. Your superhero days are over. It’s time for you to accept that the people you care about don’t care about you.”

Smoke gathers beneath me, curling around my boots and spiraling up until it tickles my ears.

“All you can do is turn their hatred back onto them. If they’re too selfish to accept your help; they’re not worthy of you. Join me, and we can exact our revenge.”

“What revenge? For not accepting you as a superhero because you were reckless and destroyed more than you saved?” Smoke seeps into my mouth, my eyes. My senses are going numb.

“You’ll never get the treatment you deserve, not on your own. With our powers and motivation combined, we can bring justice to this world.”

He’s right. Why help the people when all they do in return is reject me?

I squint and try to catch my breath. My mind is hazy. This isn’t right. What’s happening?

Of course—the smoke. He’s messing with my head, blinding me to the truth. And I’m allowing him.

I shoot upward like a bullet, spinning as I go. Burning pain erupts as the smoke clinging to me rips away like a bandage, but precious relief follows.

I plunge back toward Smokescreen. He’s formed a wall of smoke around himself, but I close my eyes and break through it, delivering a punch through its middle. Emerging on the other side of the haze, I turn and repeat, delivering the deadly impact that earned me my name. Once I have him gasping on his knees, I stop in midair and look down at him.

“I won’t be like you.” I shake my head. “You’re wrong about the citizens of this city. They’re confused and scared, but they still deserve saving. And my mistake won’t stop me from doing what I can.”

“You’ll regret it,” Smokescreen snarls. “I won’t ask again. You’re either on my side or alone in the big city with no allies.”

Faintly, down in the streets somewhere, I hear a cry. “Help! Someone! Blue Bullet! Anyone!”

I smile and lift my chin. If I must be alone in order to save lives, so be it. “I’ll deal with you later,” I warn him as I glide backward. “Right now, I’ve got a job to do.”

Blasting away from Smokescreen, I race toward the sound of my calling.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Grant doesn’t remember the first time she wrote a story, but she’s never looked back. Though her main focus is on novels- mostly fantasy- Havok recently helped draw her back into the wonderful world of short fiction. She loves coffee, rainy days, superheroes, and candles, and while she currently lives in Missouri, she hopes to somehow live in the Shire one day.

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